


i was told there'd be cake

by phenylic (tascioni)



Series: i don't actually know what happens next [2]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-26
Updated: 2012-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-30 04:31:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/327749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tascioni/pseuds/phenylic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two things happen during Eames’ birthday party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i was told there'd be cake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> (still don't actually know what this is about. other than, you know, CUTENESS. *_*)

Two things happen during Eames’ birthday party.

One: Eames gets a bike. His father wheels it out just as Eames unwraps a Bionicles lego canister from Christopher C.

Everybody ooh’s and aah’s, and Eames beams as he climbs onto it and rides a lap around the yard. It is red, which makes Eames love it more because red is his favorite color. He peddles it slowly over to Arthur, who is eyeing the bike apprehensively.

“Do you want to ride it?” Eames asks, getting off.

Arthur shakes his head. “No,” he says quietly. He looks around, and when he seems sure that no one is listening, he motions for Eames to come closer. Eames shuffles over quickly, and they bend their heads together in the way that they do whenever they share a secret.

“Don’t tell anyone, okay?” Arthur says, and Eames nods quickly.

“I don’t know how to ride a bicycle,” Arthur confesses. “My daddy is supposed to show me when he comes back.”

“When is he coming back?” asks Eames. He knows Arthur’s dad does Important Things because he is always traveling and bringing Arthur cool toys that Eames has never seen before. Eames thinks Arthur’s dad must be one of those V.I.P. people his sister talks about, because she says that V.I.P.s are people who wear suits and ties and carry black briefcases, and Arthur’s dad has all three of those things.

“I don’t know yet,” says Arthur. “I’ll ask my mom.”

“Okay,” says Eames. “Tell me so I can come over and help.”

“Okay,” agrees Arthur. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

Eames holds out his pinky. “Swear,” he says, and Arthur hooks his pinky around Eames’.

The second thing that happens, is that Arthur cries.

Eames feels very bad about that because he really didn’t think R2D2 would be all that scary. R2D2 just gets excited when he sees new people, and he just wanted to play with Arthur, but even Eames didn’t expect R2D2 to come barreling through from the backyard, his leash chewed through and flying wildly behind him.

He had tackled the first person he saw, which was unfortunately, Arthur. Eames himself had jumped out of his skin, so when Arthur had burst into tears, Eames immediately started tugging on R2D2’s collar, scolding for him to stop.

R2D2, at 102 lbs, was not easily deterred.

Eames’ mother had come running the second Eames shouted, but it still took both her and his father to get R2D2 off of Arthur.

In all the commotion, much of the party had followed Eames’ parents into the kitchen, and Anie-with-one-N had very meanly called Arthur a crybaby, and Eames had glared at her and said, “Leave him alone, Anie. You cried when Miss Kelly didn’t give you a star yesterday.”

“At least I’m not scared of a puppy!” Anie shot back.

“He’s not a puppy!” yelled Eames. “He’s a guard dog, and he’ll eat your face if he doesn’t like you!”

“Will not!” shouted Anie.

“Will too!” shouted Eames.

In the end, Anie’s mother and Eames’ father have to separate the two, and Eames knows the only reason he isn’t being given a time-out is because it’s his birthday party, but he is not sorry at all.

“She’s a big meanie!” protests Eames as his father just sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“Yes,” his father says. “But you have to be nice to mean people.”

“That’s not fair!” says Eames. “She wasn’t nice to Arthur!”

“No,” agrees Eames’ father patiently. “And I’m sure her parents will talk to her about that. Now why don’t you go play with Arthur? He was very upset.”

Eames does not want to play. Eames wants to defend himself, but his father has that look in his eye that means Eames should listen unless he wants to get spanked. Eames does not want to get spanked, not on his birthday, so he says, “Okay,” and goes off to find Arthur.

Arthur is sitting quietly on the sofa as the rest of the kids from Eames’ class file out the front door, waving good-bye to Eames and wishing him a happy birthday. Eames waves good-bye to them all, before settling himself next to Arthur.

Arthur looks over at him, cheeks slightly flushed. “Sorry,” he mumbles.

Eames blinks. “Why are you sorry?” he asks, genuinely baffled. Arthur shrugs. “Well, that’s stupid,” says Eames. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Don’t say ‘stupid,’” Arthur mumbles automatically.

Eames pats him on the back consolingly. “I don’t think you’re a crybaby,” Eames says seriously.

Arthur presses his lips together in a small frown. “Okay,” he says finally. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” says Eames. “Are you scared of R2D2?”

“No!” Arthur says quickly. “He just knocked me down, and it hurt.”

“Okay,” says Eames. “Do you want to play with him?”

“Um,” says Arthur. “Don’t you want to play on your new bike?”

“No,” Eames lies, because he wants to, but he also doesn’t want to, not if Arthur can’t ride with him. “I want to play fetch.”

“Okay,” says Arthur, hesitating. “Is he going to jump on me again?”

“No?”” says Eames, a little unsure. “It’s okay,” he adds quickly. “My dad will be with us.”

Arthur nods, and together, they make their way to Eames’ backyard, Eames’ father in tow.

“I’m not scared,” Arthur says suddenly, when R2D2 spots them and starts wagging his tail in anticipation.

“I’m not either,” assures Eames, though he feels a little silly for saying so. He marches ahead, extending his hand for R2D2 to sniff.

R2D2 noses him curiously for a few seconds before turning his attention and barking loudly. Arthur flinches slightly, but otherwise, stands very still and allows R2D2 to sniff him all over. Eames’ dad has a hand on R2D2’s collar and coaxes Arthur to petting his nose.

“Tell him to sit,” Eames’ dad says. “As loud as you can.”

“Um,” says Arthur. “Sit!”

R2D2 barks.

“As loud as you can,” encourages Eames’ dad. “Be louder than him.”

“SIT!” yells Arthur, grinning a little, and R2D2 looks at him, head cocked to one side, and sits obediently.


End file.
